This takes place after the event of Megaforce, and is my take on how the series should have continued after this season. All rights belong to Saban, and this is not met for profit. It's just a fun project. Please enjoy and leave comments. Chapter 2 coming soon.
"Troy, are you alright?"
Troy, the Red Megaforce Ranger, looks up from his almost untouched smoothie. The person who had asked the question was Emma, the Pink Megaforce Ranger. The two of them are at Bernie's, the local smoothie place. Normally, they hang there with the rest of the rangers; Noah (the Blue Ranger), Jake (the Black Ranger), and Gia (the Yellow Ranger). But today, Troy thought it would be a good idea to just hang with Emma, to get to know her better without the other Rangers around. Unfortunately, Troy had a lot on his mind to really enjoy the day.
"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry."
"Just because Gosei made you the leader doesn't mean you have to be stoic all the time, you know." Emma smiled at him. Troy didn't understand how, but her smile always made him feel better.
He looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him, but dropped his voice anyway. "It's just... I know we're fighting for the Earth, and everyone on it, but sometimes I wonder if we'll win."
Emma's smile faded. "What are you talking about? We've been holding our own so far."
"That's just it," Troy replied, sipping on his grape smoothie to keep him from being overly agitated. "We're up against an army that has conquered countless planets. We're just five Rangers and one Robo Knight. How long can the six of us last? And how long before the Armada ups their game?"
The smile came back, admittedly smaller and with a sadness to it. "Gosei chose us for a reason, Troy. If he didn't think we could protect the planet, we wouldn't be Rangers, much less friends." She reached for Troy's hand, squeezing it gently. "What ever the Armada does, we will find a way to stop them. I know we will."
Troy smiled, but only for a second, as his morpher/communicator started beeping. He and Emma shared a look, and got up from their table. After finding a quiet spot, Troy answered: "Go ahead, Gosei."
"Troy," replied the deep voice of the being that granted them their powers, "I'm afraid I have some bad news. The Armada has begun another attack, but this time with forces unlike any we've yet faced. Noah, Gia, and Jake are already fighting them off. You have to join them. I will try to get in touch with Robo Knight as well."
"You got it, Gosei." With that, the two Rangers run out of the mall, and head toward the sounds of fighting. They stop when they reach the plaza, where creatures they've never seen before are fighting with their fellow rangers.
Troy and Emma pull out their morphers, and yell out their morphing codes: "Red Dragon! Megaforce!" "Pink Phoenix! Megaforce!"
Once morphed, Troy and Emma join the fray, weapons in hand. They make their way toward the others who seem barely able to hold their own.
"Glad you could join the party," Jake says, swinging his axe to keep the enemies at bay.
"Hey, better late than never," Troy replies, slashing two more of the creatures. "Noah, any idea what we're dealing with?"
Using his Shark Bow, Noah, who also serves as the brains of the team, blasts back five of the new enemies, though it only stuns them for the moment. "No clue. But whatever they are, they're much stronger than the Luggies."
"Poor Rangers," comes a voice that echoes. "Seems you're having a hard time with the X Borgs, aren't you?"
Troy knocks back an X Borg before addressing the voice. "Vrak! Show yourself!"
"Well, since you asked so nicely," the voice laughed. The being known as Vrak materialized at the stairs of the plaza. "X Borgs, stop!"
At the command, the X Borgs ceased their attack, and Vrak addressed the Rangers. "Listen well, Rangers, for you won't hear this but once. These X Borgs are a gift from my dear brother Vekar, who arrived just before dawn. As you can see, these soldiers are far more powerful than are initial wave, and definitely enough to handle you pests. But don't think that you won't be given a chance to avoid destruction. All you have to do is declare your allegiance to the Mavro Empire, and your pitiful lives shall be spared. Will you take this offer?"
Jake and Gia rushed forward, but Troy stopped them.
"Troy?" Gia said, worry in her voice. "What are you doing? We should take Vrak out now!"
"No," Troy responded, facing his team. "He gave us a choice. Maybe we should take a second to consider it."
"You want to do what?!" Noah asked incredulously. "Are you insane?"
"It seems not, Blue Ranger," Vrak said, a laugh escaping his mouth. "I think your leader has finally come to his senses. You'd do well to follow his lead."
"Troy," Emma pleaded. "Please, don't do it."
"I'm sorry, guys, but this is the best way to ensure that we save at least a part of the planet." With that, Troy turned his back on his team, and joined Vrak.
"I'm I knew this was all it took to get you to see reason, I'd have brought the X Borgs along in the first place," Vrak laughed. "So, anyone else?"
The rest of the Rangers stood rooted to their spots, none able to believe that Troy would turn on them.
"No? Too bad." He turned to Troy. "So, Red Ranger, why don't we take you to meet my brother while the X Borgs take care of your former teammates?"
"Actually," Troy replied, slashing at Vrak three times, injuring him very badly. "Why don't you just give him a message for me? Tell him that the Earth is protected by the Power Rangers, and that we'll never join the Armada!"
The rest of the Rangers cheered as they ran up to Troy.
"Sorry to worry you guys," Troy told them. "But I felt I needed to give Vrak our answer personally."
Vrak stumbled to his feet. "You are going to regret this, Red Ranger. X Borgs, attack!"
Vrak disappeared, and the X Borgs rushed at the rangers. They entered into battle again, but they were outnumbered and almost outpowered.
"Guys! Power up!" Troy commanded, pushing back three X Borgs. "Megaforce Red, Ultimate Mode!"
The rest followed suit, and the power their Ultimate Mode gave them was enough for the Rangers to turn the tide of the battle, slowly, but surely taking out the X Borgs until they were all defeated. When the last one had fallen, the Rangers reverted to their normal form, the Ultimate Mode taking a lot out of them.
Trying to catch his breath, Troy took out his communicator. "Gosei, we managed to hold back the Armada's new force, but only just."
"I know," Gosei replied, his voice both proud and sad. "As always, you have fought bravely, Rangers, but this new threat may prove to be too much for you in the end."
"But we can't just quit," Noah interjects. "Surely there is a way to stop the Armada."
"There is, Noah," Gosei said. "But that power has been sealed away ever since Zordon first created the Morphing Grid, from which your powers stem. Robo Knight informed me of his knowledge of its whereabouts when i contacted him. Knowing how dark our future appears, I sent him to attempt to unlock these powers, which is why he was unable to come to your aid. Until he returns, you will have to make due with the powers you have."
"Don't worry, Gosei," Jake added. "We won't let you down."
"I know you won't. I have faith in you, Rangers."
Troy ended the communication. "Alright guys. It seems we have a war to win."
Just then, screams filled the air. The Rangers turned, and saw people being chased by X Borgs. There were much more than what they had just faced.
Troy looked at his team, and they nodded back at him. They knew what they had to do. Splitting up, each took a group of X Borgs. Just as before, the X Borgs proved too much for the Rangers, but on they fought, urging any civilian to run as fast as they could.
Gia took the most damage, using her body to shield a mother and her two young children from the blasts of no less than four X Borgs. The people she protected made it out of there safe, but Gia fell to the ground, barely able to get back on her knees, let alone her feet. The X Borgs advanced, charging their blasters for another assault.
"Hey X Uglies! Over here!"
No sooner were the words spoken than Jake, hacking away fiercely with his axe, came charging in, damaging the X Borgs greatly.
Jake ran to Gia's side, and helped her up.
"Thank... you," she panted, putting her arm around Jake's shoulder for support.
"Anything to have my arm around you," Jake joked, helping Gia walk toward the others.
"Be... quiet... ypu," Gia replied, but the attempt at humor did make her feel slightly better. But the feeling went away when she and Jake suddenly demorphed.
"Oh, boy," Jake said. "This is not good."
"Understatement much?" Gia retorted, her breath returning to normal, though she was still in pain. "At least we still have our weapons."
"Yeah, I guess." Jake shook his head. "Let's find the others."
Finding Emma and Noah was easy, as they came toward Jake and Gia, Noah leaning on Emma, and both demorphed as well.
"Noah, are you alright budfy?" Jake asked.
"I took a shot to the leg," Noah explained. "it hurts, but I can walk. But that's the least of our problems."
"Problems we can solve back at base," Troy said, walking up, sword in hand but demorphed. "We can't fight like this. Without our morphing abilities, we don't stand a chance." He looked over his friends. "Noah, how fast can you move right now?"
"Maybe a jog, but not much more than that?"
"Gia, can you do that?"
"I'll try."
"Okay, Troy explained. "Here's the plan: Noah and Emma will take the lead back to base, blasting any X Borgs in our way. Jake, you and Gia will be behind them, batting away any Armada goons that get too close. I'll be behind you, discouraging any from following us. Are you with me?"
No one answers, but there are nods.
"All right. Let's go."
About forty minutes later, the Rangers enter into the command center, to find it trashed. The stands were thrown about, the Ranger keys all gone, and the face of Gosei cracked.
Emma gasped in shock, tears welling up in her eyes. "Who could've done this?"
"Ran...gers..." Gosei's face lit up slightly, his voice strained.
"Gosei!" they cry out together. Jake helps Gia to the floor, propping her against the wall.
"Ran... gers..." Gosei said again. "You're... here."
"Gosei, don't speak," Noah told him, leaning away from Emma now. "You have to conserve your energy."
"It is... too late. I... am too badly... hurt."
"Don't say that," Jake yelled. "You're gonna be fine. I know it."
"The... power... I told you... about... the Armada... has it."
"The Armada did this to you?" Gia asked, both aghast and unsurprised. "How did they find this place?"
"It doesn't matter," Troy snapped. "But they just made this fight personal."
"Do not... seek revenge... Troy. Continue... your mission... Save... the Earth."
The light from Gosei's face faded.
Emma, already crying, tried to bring him back. "Gosei? Please, Gosei, don't leave us. We need you! Gosei!"
She turned, and fell into Troy's embrace, sobbing uncontrollably. The rest observe a moment of silence for their fallen mentor. Gia, who normally portrayed herself as the tough girl, even shed a few tears.
When Emma calmed down a little, Troy looked at her. "Are you going to be okay?"
Trying to put on a brave face, she nodded, wiping away some tears. Troy then addressed his team.
"Today, we have lost a great friend and mentor," he began. "And today, the Armada has made its last mistake. They came for a fight, and that's what we'll give them. We are going to protect the Earth, powers or not." He lifts his sword, then points it straight out. "Red Dragon! Megaforce!"
Noah nods slowly, and touched his bow to Troy's sword. "Blue Shark! Megaforce!"
With help from Jake, Gia get up, and the two of them added their weapons to the circle.
"Yellow Tiger! Megaforce!"
"Black Snake! Megaforce!"
Emma, seeing the determination of her friends, stood tall, and put her blaster with everyone else's. "Pink Phoenix! Megaforce! "
"Earth's defenders," Troy began.
"Never surrender!" the rest finish.
Troy drew back. "Come on guys. We have a planet to protect!"